Car-coupling



(No Model.)` 2 Sheets-Sheet .1.

W. C. WATSON.

GAR eoUPLINe.

No. 459,502. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. l

W. C.WATSO1\I.v GAR GOUPLING.

No. 459,502. Patented sept. 15, 1891'.-

Wsess IVM/e s lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM C. lVATSON, OF PATERSON, NEV JERSEY.

CAR-.COU PLI NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,502, datedSeptember 15, 1891.

Application filed May 20, 1891. Serial No. 393,438. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. WATSON, of Paterson, in the county ofPassaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and use fulImprovement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specilication,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of couplings the principal membersof which are hooked draw-heads pivoted and having lateral movementswithin buffer-heads, the coupling action being effected by theengagement of two such hooked draw-heads, one on each of the cars to becoupled.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described andclaimed.

The object of the improvement is twofold, viz: first, to aiford great-erilexibility of the coupling and thereby to reduce the liability tobreakage in turning a curve, aud, second, to provide in a simple andeffective manner for the operation of the coupling from the side7 roof,or floor of the car, and to avoid the dangerous necessity of men havingto go between the cars to effect the coupling and uncoupling.

Figure l represents a horizontal sectional view of those parts of acoupling which are .attached to one car and a plan view of portions ofcorresponding members attached to another car. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional section corresponding with the parts in section in Fig. l.Figs. 3 and fl are plan views representing portions of the couplings oftwo cars in different positions. Fig. 5 is a front view of those membersof the coupling attached to one car. Fig. 6 is a view corresponding withFig. 1, showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 7 is a det-ailview which will be hereinafter explained.

Similar letters of reference designate co1'- responding parts in all thefigures.

A is a buffer-head arranged under the carbody between guides a a, inwhich it is capable of moving lengthwise. This bufferhead is hollowthroughout and has an opening through its rear for the passage of thedrawbar B. Its front end, which projects from the car, is or may be ofsubstantially similar form to that of other buffer-heads, except that ithas on one side a forward projection Z, the object of which will behereinafter explained.

C is the hooked draw=head,pivoted within rence toFig. G.'

the rear portion of the buffer-head to the front end of the draw-bar Bby a pivot b. The drawbar B passes through a plate B, secured to thecar-body D. Between this plate B and the rear of the buffer-head thereis applied around the draw-bar the coiled buffer-spring c, and betweenthe said plate and a nut d, screwed onto the rear of the draw-bar, thereis applied around the said bar a coiled spring c', which permits alongitudinal movement of stant tendency to throw the draw-head C intothe coupling position shown in Fig. l. On the opposite side of thecoupling-'head C is arranged an upright spindle f, which is pivotedwithin the draw-head, and which carries within the draw-head a cam g forthe purpose of throwing the said draw-head to the position foruncoupling, as shown in Fig. 6. The space provided within thebuffer-headA is not, however,wide enough to permita suflicient lateralmovement of its draw-head C to uncouple the hook thereof from the hookof the corresponding draw-head of the next car without the correspondingmovement of the latter draw-head. This maybe understood by refer- Thelower part of the spindle f projects below the draw-head and is squaredto receive a lever E, which serves the purpose of turning the spindle tobring the cam g to the position shown in Fig. l to permit the coupling,or to the position shown in Fig. 6 to effect the uncoupling. The ends ofthis lever are intended to project beyond o1l be accessible from thesides of the car for the purpose of working the coupling without goingbetween the cars, and one end of it passes through a slottedlocking-plate E for the purpose of locking the said lever with the-cam gin the position shown in Fig. 6 for uncoup-v g from the platform or fromthe roof ot the car I provide in suitable bearings t' t" on the end ot'the car-body a spindle j, and on the lower end of this spindle I providea crankarm j', which is connected by a crank-pin 7'2 and a link jf withthe lever E.

To illustrate the operation of my invention, I have shown in Figs. 3, 4,and 6 portions of a second coupling-that is to say, of a couplingbelonging tov another car-the bufferhead and the draw-head of thissecond coupliig being respectively designated by A and Referring now toFig. 6, I will suppose that the lever E is brought to a position inwhich the cam g holds the draw-head C in the un- `coupled position inwhich it is locked by the engagement of the lever in the notch h of thelocking-plate E', and will suppose that the draw-h ead C of the othercoupling is similarly held and locked,the cars being then broughttogether, the two draw-headsbeingin the positions shown in Fig. 6. Toeffect the coupling the lever E is unlocked and turned to bring itskcani g to the position shown in Fig. l, and the corresponding lever ofthe other coupling is operated in the same way, and the engagement ofthe two hooks of the draw-head, takes place, as shown in Fig. l. Thisengagement is maintained by the springs e of the two draw-heads in suchmanner that the connection between the cars is a very flexible one andwell adapted forturning very shortcurves, as may be understood byreference to Figs. 3 and 4, which show the relative positions occupiedby the members of the coupling on two/ cars of opposite direction. Inthis operation that butter-head projection Z which is on the inner lsideof the curve serves as a guard to prevent the disengagement of the hookot the draw-head which is on that side of the car. To effect theunlocking the lever E is moved to turn the spindle f and the cam gto theposition shown in Fig. G and throw aside the hooked draw-head. The leverE is then lifted into the notch `h of the lock. The coupling of the ad-The necessity of operatin g both the hooked draw-heads to effect-theuncoupling prevents any liability of an unintentional uncoupling takingplace, for the coupling would keep the two cars coupled under mostcircumstances, even though the hooked draw-head 0f one car were in theuncoupling position shown in Fig. 6, provided that of the other car wereleft free by the cam g to the action of the spring e, and therebybrought to the coupling position.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, substantially as herein described, of correspondinghollow butterheads, corresponding hooked draw-heads pivoted one in eachbuffer-head to swin(r laterally therein to such extent only that alateral movement ot' either of said draw-heads alone would be.insuiiicient to swing it clear of the other draw-head, and means,substantially vas herein described, for swinging said drawheads.

2. The combination, with a car-body, of a i hollow buffer-head, a hookeddraw-head pivoted to swing laterally within the said butter- `head, anupright spindle pivoted within the buffer-head, a cam on said spindlefor moving aside the said hooked draw-head to produce the'uncoupling, alever on said spindle arranged crosswise of the car-body to beaccessible from the sides thereof, a lock on one side of the car-bodyfor locking said lever when the draw-head is uncoupled7 and a spring forthrowing the draw-head into coupling position when the lever isunlocked, all substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combnation of a hollow butter-head, a hooked draw-head pivoted toswing laterally within the said buffer-head, an upright spindle pivotedwithin the buffer-head, a cam fast on said spindle for throwing asidethe said hooked draw-head, a lever on said spindle, a second spindleattached to the car-body, a crank on said second spindle, and aconnection between said crank and lever, all substantially as herein setforth.

4. The combination, with the corresponding hooked draw-heads of twocars, of lbuffer-heads on the two cars,in which said draw-heads arepivoted to swing laterally and which have each a forward projection Z atone side to limit the lateral movement of the hook of the otherdraw-head, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

WILLIAM C. XVATSON.

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